Hands-on careers A to Z: salaries and ways in

Building services and energy

Air conditioning and refrigeration engineer

Install and fix the cooling and air conditioning systems used in buildings, cold storage and refrigerated transport.

£25,000 – £45,000 starter to experienced

Engineering and manufacturing

Aircraft maintenance engineer

Inspect, service and repair aircraft systems to exacting safety standards - a licensed, highly skilled engineering career.

£27,000 – £50,000 starter to experienced

Automotive and transport

Auto electrician

Trace and fix the wiring, sensors and electronic systems in modern vehicles, from lights and alarms to hybrid and EV systems.

£23,000 – £38,000 starter to experienced

Food and hospitality

Baker

Make bread, cakes and pastries by hand or on production lines, in craft bakeries, supermarkets and food factories. Early starts come with the job.

£19,000 – £26,000 starter to experienced

Hair, beauty and wellbeing

Barber

Cut and style hair with barbering techniques, shape beards and give shaves, working with every hair type in a busy, sociable barbershop.

£19,000 – £30,000 starter to experienced

Hair, beauty and wellbeing

Beauty therapist

Give facials, manicures, waxing, lash and brow treatments and more, helping clients look and feel their best in salons, spas or your own business.

£23,000 – £29,000 starter to experienced

Automotive and transport

Bicycle mechanic

Build, service and repair bikes, e-bikes and e-scooters - a friendly way into a trade if you love cycling.

£23,000 – £30,000 starter to experienced

Construction and trades

Bricklayer

Build homes, walls and chimneys brick by brick – an outdoor, team-based trade where your work stands for generations.

£25,000 – £45,000 starter to experienced

Food and hospitality

Butcher

Cut, bone and prepare meat and poultry, make sausages, burgers and pies, and help customers choose the right cut in shops and meat plants.

£18,000 – £26,000 starter to experienced

Construction and trades

Carpenter or joiner

Turn timber into staircases, roofs, doors, kitchens and fitted furniture – on site or at the workshop bench.

£24,000 – £40,000 starter to experienced

Food and hospitality

Chef

Prepare, cook and present food in restaurants, hotels, hospitals and schools, from commis chef at the start to running your own kitchen.

£22,000 – £40,000 starter to experienced

Engineering and manufacturing

CNC machinist

Program and run computer-controlled machines that cut precision parts for engineering and manufacturing.

£25,000 – £42,000 starter to experienced

IT and telecoms

Data centre technician

Keep the servers behind the internet running: install racks and hardware, fix faults and monitor systems in secure data centres.

No official salary figure

Health and science

Dental technician

Design and make crowns, bridges, dentures and braces to a dentist's prescription in a dental lab. A registered, precise, hands-on health career.

£32,000 – £48,000 starter to experienced

Outdoors, land and animals

Dog groomer

Bathe, dry, brush and trim dogs of every breed, check their skin and coat, and advise owners, in a salon, a vet practice or your own mobile business.

£15,000 – £23,000 starter to experienced

Building services and energy

Electrician

Install, test and repair wiring, lighting, controls and low-carbon tech in homes, workplaces and new buildings.

£26,000 – £45,000 starter to experienced

Building services and energy

Electricity distribution worker

Maintain and repair the overhead lines, underground cables and substations that carry power to homes and businesses.

£23,000 – £42,000 starter to experienced

Engineering and manufacturing

Electronics engineering technician

Design, build, test and fix electronic systems and circuit boards, from factory controls to medical and aerospace tech.

£26,000 – £42,000 starter to experienced

Engineering and manufacturing

Engineering maintenance technician

Keep factory, production and transport equipment running by servicing and repairing motors, pumps, gearboxes and controls.

£27,000 – £48,000 starter to experienced

Outdoors, land and animals

Farrier

Trim horses' hooves and make and fit horseshoes by hand at the forge. A skilled, registered trade reached through a long approved apprenticeship.

No official salary figure

Creative crafts

Furniture maker

Make chairs, tables, cabinets and fitted furniture from technical drawings, using hand tools, machines and CNC, in workshops and factories.

£23,000 – £32,000 starter to experienced

Outdoors, land and animals

Gardener

Grow and care for plants in private gardens, parks, estates and green spaces, from sowing seeds to pruning, weeding and mowing.

£24,000 – £32,000 starter to experienced

Building services and energy

Gas engineer

Install, service and repair boilers and gas appliances safely – a trusted, legally registered trade with steady demand.

£25,000 – £45,000 starter to experienced

Construction and trades

Glazier

Measure, fit and repair windows, doors, rooflights and glass panels in homes and businesses.

£23,000 – £40,000 starter to experienced

Hair, beauty and wellbeing

Hairdresser

Wash, cut, colour and style hair, talk clients through new looks and build a loyal following in salons, spas or as a freelance stylist.

£19,000 – £30,000 starter to experienced

Building services and energy

Heat pump installer

Help homes and businesses switch to low-carbon heating by installing, commissioning and servicing heat pumps.

£24,000 – £46,000 starter to experienced

Building services and energy

Heating and ventilation engineer

Keep big buildings comfortable – installing and maintaining heating, ductwork, ventilation and controls in offices, schools and hospitals.

£20,000 – £40,000 starter to experienced

Automotive and transport

HGV mechanic

Service and repair lorries, trailers, buses and coaches - big machines, big responsibility and some of the best pay in motor trades.

£26,000 – £55,000 starter to experienced

IT and telecoms

IT support technician

Be the person who fixes it: solve hardware, software and network problems for computer users, in person and remotely.

£24,000 – £36,000 starter to experienced

Construction and trades

Kitchen and bathroom fitter

Rip out the old and install new kitchens and bathrooms – a multi-skilled trade combining joinery, plumbing and tiling.

£24,000 – £45,000 starter to experienced

Health and science

Laboratory technician

Run tests on samples, prepare experiments and keep lab equipment working, supporting research, product development and medical diagnosis.

£24,000 – £31,000 starter to experienced

Outdoors, land and animals

Landscaper

Build and look after gardens, parks and outdoor spaces: paths, walls, lawns, planting and water features, working outdoors in all weathers.

£26,000 – £38,000 starter to experienced

Construction and trades

Locksmith

Fit, repair and open locks, safes and security systems – a problem-solving trade for calm, trustworthy people.

£23,000 – £30,000 starter to experienced

Automotive and transport

Motor vehicle technician

Service, diagnose and repair cars and vans - including hybrids and EVs - in a busy garage workshop.

£22,000 – £42,000 starter to experienced

Automotive and transport

Motorcycle mechanic

Service, repair, tune and customise motorbikes, scooters and quad bikes - turn a love of bikes into a trade.

£25,000 – £40,000 starter to experienced

IT and telecoms

Network cabler

Install, terminate and test the copper and fibre cabling that connects offices, hospitals, data centres and homes to the digital world.

No official salary figure

Construction and trades

Painter and decorator

Transform rooms and buildings with paint, wallpaper and specialist finishes – ideal if you have an eye for colour and detail.

£21,000 – £32,000 starter to experienced

Construction and trades

Plant operator

Drive the diggers, dumpers, dozers and cranes that shape building sites – ideal if you love big machines.

£25,000 – £45,000 starter to experienced

Construction and trades

Plasterer

Create smooth walls and ceilings, renders and ornate mouldings – a skilled finishing trade that rewards a steady hand.

£21,000 – £38,000 starter to experienced

Building services and energy

Plumber

Fit, fix and look after the water, heating and drainage systems that keep homes, hospitals and businesses running.

£24,000 – £46,000 starter to experienced

Automotive and transport

Rail engineering technician

Service, test and repair trains, carriages and other rolling stock to keep the railway running safely.

£30,000 – £45,000 starter to experienced

Construction and trades

Roofer

Work at height keeping buildings watertight – slating, tiling, flat roofing, leadwork and even thatching.

£26,000 – £42,000 starter to experienced

Construction and trades

Scaffolder

Build the safe working platforms every other trade relies on – a fit, outdoor, team trade with strong earning potential.

£25,000 – £51,000 starter to experienced

Building services and energy

Solar panel installer

Fit, connect and look after solar PV systems on homes and businesses - a hands-on, outdoor role at the heart of the move to clean energy.

£25,000 – £47,000 starter to experienced

Construction and trades

Stonemason

Cut, carve and fix natural stone for new buildings, memorials and historic restoration, working in a workshop or out on site.

£24,000 – £40,000 starter to experienced

IT and telecoms

Telecoms engineer

Install and repair broadband, phone, fibre, mobile and satellite systems - out on the road, up masts and in customers' homes.

£25,000 – £40,000 starter to experienced

Outdoors, land and animals

Tree surgeon

Climb, prune and fell trees safely, assess tree health and plant new stock in streets, parks, gardens and woodland. Also called an arborist.

£25,000 – £35,000 starter to experienced

Creative crafts

Upholsterer

Build and restore padded furniture such as chairs and sofas, fitting springs, fillings and fabric using traditional or modern upholstery methods.

£23,000 – £32,000 starter to experienced

Outdoors, land and animals

Veterinary nurse

Care for sick and injured animals and support vets in surgery, X-ray and treatment. A registered profession you can train for through an apprenticeship.

£24,000 – £32,000 starter to experienced

Construction and trades

Wall and floor tiler

Lay precise, beautiful tiling in kitchens, bathrooms, shops and restaurants using ceramics, stone, slate and marble.

£21,000 – £38,000 starter to experienced

Engineering and manufacturing

Welder

Cut, join and shape metal for everything from buildings and pipelines to wind turbines - a skilled, practical trade.

£25,000 – £45,000 starter to experienced

Building services and energy

Wind turbine technician

Climb, inspect and repair wind turbines on land and at sea, keeping renewable power flowing. Demanding, outdoor, highly skilled work.

£25,000 – £47,000 starter to experienced